Automatic controlling device for locomotive-engines.



APPLIQATION FILED JAN'.11,19 10. l L Patenued Mar. 11,1913.

2 SHEETBFSHEET 1.

' noemer.-

lowing is a specification, reference being- JOHN MORRIS Kenianen, or PHIIQADELPHIA.rnnnsrtvama, assitance' or ona- HALF TO JAY VICTOR, HUG() XUL? n@ PHILDELHA, PENNSYLVANA. v

AUTOMMIC 'CONTRGL'LING Device' Foa. .LocoraOrIvE-ENGINES.

Specificatin'of Letters Patent.

lPatentedY hier, iL 1913.

applicationaiea January 11, 1am. serial tra. senses.

To all whom, t may concern Be it knownthat- I, JOHN M. Kairi/imola,

.delphia and State of Pennsylvania., have invented cert-ain new and usefulV Improvements in 'Automatic Controlling DevicesI for Locomotive-Engines, whereof the folhad to the accompanying drawings.. p My 'invention has referenceto that class' yofdevices in Which a trippingnember isy connected with the switch and signaling system in such manner that When the' signalA at that point is set yitorstoppage of a train, the tripping element shallL be protruded into 'its operative position, so as to be struck by a controlling membercarried by a passing locomotive, but/.When the signal is set to permitpassage of, the train, the tripping element is Withdrawnout of range of the member carried by the locomotive.

The features of improvement, which characterize my invention relate to the organization ot' the controlling, devices carried by the locomotive, and the purpose thereof, isv

. pneumatic cylinders and their pistons which constitute the controlling devices for the throttle valveof the locomotive, and-for the valve of the automatic air brake system. In saidligure, the representation of the throttle lever and its adjunctsLa's Well as ot' theactuating lever of the airbrake valve. is diagrammatic,I as will be hereafter explained. 4Figs. IH, land IV, represent in vertical Sectionthe details of the va'lve which is directly actuated by thetrippingl device, the position of the valve in Fig. IH,

being the normal one, and the 'position in Fig. 1V, being -that Awhich occurs upon the tripping` action'. f i

Referring now to thev general view of Fig. l. it is unnecessary to describe any'off. the

\ 'l Y. ',.nf i

' well known parts-ofthe,locomotive therein represented, it being suiicient 'to state `that nary throttle vervey and liever', and also" 'with the sual elementso: an airfbrake system' brake valve.

commence 'with' the air-*pump .1, whie fer, to employ a separate pressure resercated as shown, above the coW-catcher,and directly communicating with the piilnp'res-v voir 2, a pipe 4, leads down to a region near the level of the track, and isprotected by obstructions. A valve, Whose casingis linprovi'ded With a depending .lever 6, which, Whenin apvertical position,lmaintains the ber 7 (arranged adjacent to the track, arid. connected withy they switchy and 'signaling mechanism) when .said member 7,' is prolmember 7, in 'the act of passage, said lever 6, is thrown rearwardly-at an angle of about 45 degrees to the vertical, as indicated by the dotted linesUin-Figl-V, and thereupon,

`When however, said member 7, is with'-4 responderme with the setting 'of a signal for passage of the train, the" lever 6, passes Without contact. 'I

Referring .to Figs. IH, and 1V, thefdelows :-The pipe et, leads into the frontend of the valve chest 5.in which sloeatedthe rotary valve 8, .Whose portY 9,".is tapered, as

.munication'between the pipe 4,.and the reati- `Wardly extending pipe 10, when the lever 'S, is vertical,l said port 9, however in this position communicating with thefe-Xhait opensaid locomotive is"vp'ijovidedV with the ordi-- 'voir 2, for operating the'controllin 1de.-- v1ces, said reservoir being' convenient 5h10- ervoir la, by means of a pipe'S, 'only a4 por-4 tion of which isshown. f. Fromv saidereser- J When. the lever 6, strikes against the including an -operat'ingflever forv lthe air,

For: present purposes the ydescription 'of a Vthe 'essential parts ofthe ,invention .ma

titi supplies the air brake system. l I `prethe cow-catcherfrom Contact withabnorm'al l dicated. at 5, is arranged insaidj pipe, and

valvevwithin the casing 5,. in a closedcondi-A tion. Said lever 6, is located in a position' which permits it in passing to strike against and be shifted by an external tripping memtruded in correspondence,witlrthe setting of i 4shift-s the valve into an openv position. 1

drawn from such operative position', in corica tails of the valve are shown and are as fol-f i shown, and, so arran ed as' to cu'tco com# ite'- ing 11. Vlhen,"however, the lever 6, has been shifted by contact with the tripping lem ver 7, into thefp'osition shown` in. Fig. IV, the port 9, opens communication between the pipes et, and 10, thus permitting the access of air under pressure from the reservoir 2, to the pipe 10, Said pipe 10, extends rear- Wardly for a short distancefand is then preferably carried' upward, as shown, to a point near the front end of the locomotive boiler,

whence it extpnds 'rearwardly to a` poin't Within the cab, where it is provided with a oheckvalve 33, opening upward, and is then connected with a pressure-'cylinder 15, which I term -the main pressure cylinder. A pipe 11,1eads from' the main pressure tank 1a, rearwardly to a point Within the cab, and is there connected with the valve chamber 68, of the automatic'brake system. This valve chamber and its controlling valve preferably a duplicate of the ordinary'air brake controlling device, adapted for manual actuation by the engineer.

The two elements intended toloe automati-l cally controlled and operatively shifted by means of my device, are in the. firstinstance, the throttle valve of the locomotive, and in the second instance, the valve of the airbrake system.

Referring now to Fig. lL'the details of the main operative. elements of the system will be explained. As before stated, Fig. ll, is partly diagrammatic, in that the throttle v-valve 20, and actuating lever 67, of the automatic brake valve are shown at right angles to their true positions. Ordinarily,

for convenience of location, and economy of space, both of said levers move in a horizontal plane. For simplicity of illustration in Fig. II, they are-represented as though moving in a'vertical plane, but it will be readily understood, from the, explanation l of the actuating devices about to be given,

vportion of said hollow piston rod 18, is

provided with an elongated slot 21, and car= ries a telescoping piston rod 22, having'a' stud 23, which is located'within the slot ,'21, so as to permit lost motion between the telescoping parts to the extent of the length of y the slot, but to cause operative engagement between said parts when the limit ofthe slot has been reached in either direction.y

The front end of the rod 22, is-provided with a yokel, having an elongatedslotZ,

in which is located a stud 26, mounted upon the tnrottle lever 20. Lost motion` between said yoke and said throttle lever is permit- .I

tedto the extent of the length of the slot '25, but operative engagement is obtained when the limit of the slot has been reached in either direction.' A pin 28, mounted in the .extremity of the yoke Qi, is .pivotally connected with the grip lever 29,v of the throttle lever.l It will thus be seen that the organization of the telescoping piston rod device and its adjuncts is such that manual operatioiiof the throttle lever is permitted 4by reason of thecapacityfor lost-motion due to lthe presence of the slots' 23, and 25,

and furthermore that when the ,piston rod 22.,moves to the right in Fig. II, the first effect of such motion is to actuate the grip lever 29, thus freeing .the throttle lever, but that the actuation of the throttle lever itself,

Aby the further movement of the piston rod,

is direct. This provision for a direct connection between the throttle lever and the actuating mechanism is much. more ellicient and permanent than where an attemptv is' made to, actuate the throttle lever by connecting the actuating mechanism withthe grip lever, as has heretofore been suggested.

The operation of the parts `iust described is as `followsz--llThQn the lever 6, is struck bv the tripping member 7, and air under pressure is admitted to the pipe 10, the piston 17, is forced toward the rear end of t-he main cylinder 15. (or to the right in Fig. Il), and since the`stud Q3, is then at the left hand extremity of the slot 21, immediate movement of the rod 2:2, takes, place.

The lost motion of the stud Q6, in the slot 25, permits the actuation of the grip lever Q9, by means of the pin 28, before operative Contact has been made between thestud 26, and the left hand end of the slot 25. Hence, although the throttle lever 20, is free to move, it isnot shifted through the medium of the grip lever, but is actuated directly by the pull of the piston rod 22,' upon the sudv. Movement of the throttlelever-in this direction shuts off the steam and thereupon the engine ceases to be positively propelled.

Disregarding for the moment t-he connec` tions with the air brakesystem, which are preferably provided to insure application of the air brakes simultaneously withthe shuts `ting off of the steam, the remaining devices to be noted in connection with the organization just. described are i as follows A bleeding orifice 30, having a plug 31, adapted'to be manually controlled, is located in the head of the main cylinder 15. Hence when the lever 6, has been reset into lits vnormal or perpendicular position, so as to out oft the supply of air under pressurev `through ipe10, the engineer can by lopenvbleeding orifice, vallow the air to.

, just described is escape, whereupon .the springA 19, 'returns the piston 1.7, to its neutral position.' It will "be noted that there is no connection between the levei G, and the cab, so that the resetting of said lever can only .be effected by 4a vper-k son outside of the cab,` Hence, the engineer cannot simply resetthe parts without dismounting and thus, continue the `travel of the locomotive without interruption.

l will now proceed to describe the organi- .zation whereby the proper application ot they air brakes is attained' in correspondence with the actuationl of the throttle lever. ltear the front end' of the hollow piston rod 1,8', provide twor studs 35, and 13G,i respectively,"between which is located the upper end of the lever 40, connected with a valve located within the valve chest 411, and controlling the communication through the pipe 42 which branches oil, as shown, from the pipe 10, at a pointJ` below the check valve 33. When the parts are in what may be called the normaloi' neutral position, the

,"lever 40 is vertical, and communication through the pipeV 4t2, is shut olf, but when the piston 1T, is moved tov the right, the lever -l0. is turned so as to open the communication through the pipev 4 2, with the interior of the secondary pressure cylind `r 60, having a piston .61, and'piston rod 6;, said pistou being progvided with a spring 63, located in a rearward extension 64, of the 'cylinder and tendin to normally restore the piston to its neutra position as shown in Fig` Il. 'Ilhe front end of the piston rod (3 2, pivotally vconnected at 66, with the controlling lever 67, of the air brake valvel Vwhose chest is indicated at 68. Adjacent tol the front end of the piston rod 62, are two studs'O, and 7 1, respectively, between which-isd located the'up eij extremity of a lever 72,' pivotaflly mounted at 73, upon a bracket Tl-Lcon'ventionally indicated as 'eX- tending-from the valve chest 68, it being imderstood, lioweven that owing to the diagrammatic nature of the representation the actifal posit-ion of the valve chest is at right anglesto that indicated.' Said lever 72,j.'is connecte-:l by means of a rod 75', with a lever 7G, -wghich is' attached to a stem 77, of a ro tary.. valve within the casino 50, locatedl in thefpipe 42'. `'t`l ie details oi'D and EV.

in the other position of the valve, (which will present-ly be described), such communi :catioh is cut oft', and communication is opened between the cylinder 6G, and the exhaustportof the valve at 505 The-method o" fopertion et the'ydevice ce v y said valve. areA similar to those of the valve""shown in Figs.-

That isV to say, in .the normalf position or the valve, (corresponding with. 'l ,the neutral position of the pistonl) coinmunica'tion through the pipe 42, to the. in- 'Y teriorof the cylinder G0, is establishedbutv sults in lrep'etition' of the shiftin parts showny in Fig. Il are in the normal or running position, but when in consequence of the admission of air through the pipe *'10, the piston 17, of the main cylinder l5,

is moved tothe right, thereby permanently closing the thi'ottlevvalve, an engagement of the stud 35, with the lever 40, opens comniunication with the source of pressure' through the pipe '42, and since the valve at o0, is Anormally open, the air under pres- 'sure enters the secondary cylinder 60, and

throws the piston to the right in Fig. Il.

This movement of 'the piston actuates they lever 67, of the air brake system so as to cause the application et the air brakes by allowing a small .reduction in the train line. The saine movement, however. of the pislever 7 2, and the continued movement of the piston rod shifts the lever 72, so as tosliut oit communication with the source of pres; sure, and to open communication between tori rod 62, which has eiiiected thisv result,v vthrows the stud TO into contact with .the

the interior of the secondary cylinder 60 and the exhaust port of the valveat 50.

Hence the air being free to escape slowly.

through a small bleed hole in the valve 50 such as shown inFig. lll, under the pres-- suie of thefspiingi, which is ot slow eX- pans'ion and restoresthe piston 6l, to its previousV position, thusy yshitting the lever G7 slowly to its normal position, and thereby cutting off the supply of air to the brakes as ordinarily 'accomplished manually. The

vvalve 68 which is connected to the brake sys-` tem, may be of any convenient construction,

such as ordinarily employed for the pur-v pose. It will, ofcourse, bek understood that the method of applyingthe brakes according to my invention, is-the samev as commonly used, z'. e., the release ot the air from the system, causing the application yof the brakes. The movement of the piston rod .62,

liaust port ll Eigl'll of the valve. at 50 so that' the piston 61, is again restoredv to its normal position. Hence, so long as the piston 17, of the throttle valve system is in iis v.a position whichcoriespouds with the open .position of the" valve at 41, a.. series of opera-l tionsreleasing .the an' v1n the train line, willapply the brakes with each separate release ofo'the' 'air out olifl the trallglne andthe" air brakes are applied so that the train is gradually brought to a stop in manner practiced by skllful engineers. This method of applying. the air brakes obviates the dangers heretofore experienced in devices intended to automatically yapply the air brakes, once for all and in a sudden manner, Whichoperation is destructive and maybe dangerous, the application being characterized by all theI disadvantages which should only be risked in` the case of great emergency,vvhere a sudden stop .is required, Such application of the air brakes is, however, not necessary for the efficient and gradual stoppage of a 'train within a reasonable distance of the signaling point.

I -Iaving thus described my' invention, I desire to statethat I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide means for stopping a locomotive by contact of controlling mechanism, carried thereon, Withan external tripping element connected with the signaling mechanism of the railroad, and I am also aware that such deviceshave .been em-l ployed to actuate not only the throttle lever of a locomotive, .but also to apply .the air brakes. Hence I do not broadly claim such devices. I believe, however, that the feature of improvement above described, whereby intermittent and repeated applications of the air brakes and consequentgradual stoppage of the train, are effected, is broadly new in this class of devices, and in certain of my claims hereafter made I desire to 'claim such feature Without limitation to the precise details of the mechanism which I have shown vfor vthat purpose, and which may of course be. varied by the exercise of mechanical skill. `Furthermore, While I have described the invention as applied to a steam locomotive, I do not thereby mean that in its broader aspect it isy limited to such application, but contemplate its use for any locomotive engine Which is provided Witlr a supply ofvmotive power and With a brake system.

I claim 1. In a locomotive engine provided with a member ,controlling thev supply of motive povver;"a brake system, and a contro-lling member for said brake system, the combination, with actuating mechanism; of primary means for shifting the member which controls the motive power, such means being operatively connected vvith said actuating mechanism; secondary means vfor shifting the member which controls the brake system, said secondary means being operatively connected with said actuating mechanismg'and means for repeatedly 'and' intermittentlyr shifting saidbrake controlling member to,

gradually apply thebrakes upon the shifting of said primary means to, shut olf the motive poWer, -substantially as set forth".

2. In a steam locon'a'otivev provided with a incase;

system; the combination, with a source A of supply of fluid under-pressure; and acontrolling valve therefor; of a main pressure cylinder; apiston and piston roo therefor,

saidv piston rod being operatively connected Withl said throttle lever; a. secondary cyliii-` Y der; .a piston and piston rod therefor, said; last mentionedl 'piston rodbeing operatively connected With thejcontrollingi member ofv the air brake system; and means forA repeat'- edly and intermittent-'ly-admitti-ng said fluid it therefromupon'theoccurrence of operato said secondary cylinder and discharging tive movementof the piston in the lmain cylinder.

3. In a steam locomotive provided With'a throttle valve lever and a grip lever there# l for, an air'brake system, and a controlling member for said air` brake system; the cornbination, with a source of vsupply of Huid under pressure, a'nd alcontrolling valve therefor; of a pressure cylinder;- a piston and pistonrodiherefof; 4means for directly engaging said pi'ston'rodlvvith the throttle valve lever Whilepermitti'ng a limited-de-v gree of lost motion prior to such engage-.-l

ment; and independent means for positively connecting said piston rod to the grlp lever yof they throttle valve lever, Without lostmotion.

4. In a steam locomotive provided with a throttle valve lever, an air brake system, and a controlling member for saidl air brake system; the combination, With va. source of supply of fluid under pressure, and a controlling valvel therefor; of a pressure cylinder; a piston therein; a compound piston rod, comprising parts telescoping with respect to one another through al limited range o f lost motion, but positively engaging one-another in either direction at the limits of said range;l and means vfor operatively connect- .ing one'of said telescoplng-parts with 'the throttle valve lever'. y

In a steam locomotive provided with a throttle valve lever, an air brake system, and 'a' controlling member for said air4 brake system; the combination, with a source of supply oflfluid under pressure, and a control-'- ling valve therefor; of aV mam pressure cyl inder; apiston and piston rodtherefor, said piston rod being operatively connected with the throttle lever; a secondary cylinder; -a piston and piston rod therefor, said last mentioned piston rod being connected with the controlling member of the air brake system; a' valve controlling the admission of said fluid under pressure tosaid secondary cylinder; actuating mechanism for said valve, operatively connecte with the piston rod of the primary cylinder; a supplemental valve controlling the admission of Said fluid to saidsecondary cylinder and also adapted noesgei to permit the exhaust of fluid theiefrom; means for actuziting said supplemental valve by the movement of the piston rod o said secondary cylinder, whereby after the Inovelnent of said piston rod in the direction coi"- responding with application of the air brakes, the supply of fluid is out off from seid secondary cylinder and communication is established between the interior thereof and the exhaust opening; means for antonmtieally returning the piston o said secondfny cylinder to e neutral position upon the discharge of said 'Huid through the eX- beest; and means foi actuating said supple-- mental valve to close the exhaust and reedmit saidluid to the interior' of said secondary cylinder on the movement of the piston toits neutral position.

viin testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Philadelphia, Pennslvlvania, this ith slay of January, 1910.

JHN MQRRS KRAMLICH. 

